Jimmy Carter Calls on Congress to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

[SzczerbiakManiac]

In a statement issued to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, former US President Jimmy Carter said:

Originally posted by Jimmy Carter
It is my long-held belief that every human being deserves dignity and respect. I often heard that phrase during my years at the United States Naval Academy, I carried it out as Commander-in-Chief, and it continues to animate my human rights work around the globe today. The nation's commitment to human rights requires that lawmakers revisit "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the current policy that prevents lesbians, gays and bisexuals from serving openly in our armed forces.

Click here to view his full statement as a PDF.

[innerSpaceman]

And it was the Navy which recently reinstated the service of an openly gay member, and when Stars & Stripes reported on that newsworthy occurrence - - he was promptly discharged again.


If I recall correctly, he was performing some sort of vital Arabic translating in the Middle East - where there is a shortage of competent translators - and was re-discharged because he is gay. Please let our commander in chief let the nation know that we are jeopardizing national security so that our servicemen and women won't get coodiefied by Teh Gay.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Jimmy has long been given a bad rap but I think it's entirely undeserved. I liked him as president, I like him as the negotiator and ambassador he is, and this last statement pleases me greatly.

DADT has long been a mistake. The ban on gay servicepeople is and has been a mistake, especially in this time of personnel shortages and the lack of translators.

Repeal it.

[Alex]

Where was he 15 years ago when taking such a stand would have been more noteworthy and courageous?

(That's not rhetorical; I have no idea. Maybe he's been campaigning against Don't Ask, Don't Tell the whole time.)

[Tref]

From what I read, Jimmy Carter tried to call on Congress, but they had changed their phone number and didn't tell him.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

Jimmy has long been given a bad rap but I think it's entirely undeserved. I liked him as president, I like him as the negotiator and ambassador he is, and this last statement pleases me greatly.

While somewhat off topic, I can only think of disastrous actions and embarrassing policy decisions that damaged this country.

[innerSpaceman]

And how would you compare, oh pick one of those alleged Carter disasters, with the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell which results in the dismissal of highly qualified service personnel in a time of maximum military deployment?

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

Jimmy has long been given a bad rap but I think it's entirely undeserved. I liked him as president, I like him as the negotiator and ambassador he is, and this last statement pleases me greatly.

DADT has long been a mistake. The ban on gay servicepeople is and has been a mistake, especially in this time of personnel shortages and the lack of translators.

Repeal it.

Originally Posted by scaeagles

While somewhat off topic, I can only think of disastrous actions and embarrassing policy decisions that damaged this country.

You know this country is seriously f*cked-up when we start waxing nostalgic for the Carter administration…

[innerSpaceman]

I'll take that from you, JW ... but, if I'm not mistaken, scaeagles was barely a teen during the Carter administration. Historical revisionism hindsight being so much greater than 20/20.

[Alex]

I don't think Carter was a bad president, just an ineffective one. (No, I didn't really experience first hand but did one pay $1,000 for the privilege of studying it.)

In terms of natural resources regulation he was generally full of very good ideas and just didn't have the political acument or power to follow through on them and then worsening political and economic crises forced him to throw those ideas under the bus for short term wins that were more politically necessary.

But for a very short window in 1977 and 1978 there was actually a chance that the president was going to stand up to the BLM and Army Corps of Engineers and rationalize our very broken water resource management and land use regulations. But the window closed and hasn't come close to reopening.